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William Edgar Borah papers

 Collection
Identifier: MG 343

Content Description

The William Edgar Borah Papers, 1899-1940 collection contains bound speeches of Senator William E. Borah; photographs of Borah, Mrs. Borah, and others including signed photographs of U.S presidents Coolidge, Taft, and Hoover; political cartoons featuring Borah, including eight original pen and ink drawings.

Dates

  • Creation: 1865-1940

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Biographical / Historical

William Edgar Borah, Republican Senator from Idaho, was born in Fairfield, Illinois, June 29, 1865, the seventh of ten children born to William Nathan and Elizabeth (West) Borah. He was educated in the public schools near Fairfield and at Enfield College. He spent two years, 1885-1887, at the University of Kansas, but had to withdraw because of illness. He then studied law in the office of his brother-in-law and was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1890.

In 1891 he moved west and settled in Boise, Idaho, where he opened a law office. On April 21, 1895, he married Mary McConnell the daughter of Governor William J. McConnell.

He first became a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1903, but was defeated by Weldon Heyburn. He was elected in 1907 and served in that body until his death in 1940. In 1924 he became chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee; he also served on the Judiciary Committee. He was often mentioned as a presidential candidate, but not until 1936 did he actually enter any primaries; his defeat at the convention by Alf Landon was not unexpected.

William E. Borah died January 19, 1940, following a stroke.

Extent

1 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains bound speeches of Senator William E. Borah; photographs of Borah, Mrs. Borah, and others including signed photographs of U.S presidents Coolidge, Taft, and Hoover; political cartoons featuring Borah, including eight original pen and ink drawings.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials were found in Special Collections in July 1985.

Related Materials

Related materials may be found in MG 010 (William Edgar Borah scrapbooks), MG 5128 (Senator Borah letters to Doremus Scudder), and MG 5125 (Senator W. E. Borah correspondence).

Title
Guide to William Edgar Borah papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Daniel Olortegui.
Date
2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Repository